


Maybe I'm A Crook

by jaypronouncedgay



Category: Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-24
Updated: 2017-07-24
Packaged: 2018-12-06 10:45:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11599008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaypronouncedgay/pseuds/jaypronouncedgay
Summary: Julian tries his best to get by without fucking too many things up, but when he meets Joseph, he just can't help himself indulging in one of his longest-lived fantasies--A series of out-of-order snippets on Julian's adventure navigating his crush on a married man.  Based on Joseph's "friend end" and how I interpreted it.





	Maybe I'm A Crook

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was very unhappy with the end that I got for Joseph, so I datamined out what I thought was the good end. Turns out that I had achieved the good end after all. This is based on what I found in the "friend end", which I prefer by far. Everything from them sitting together at the barbecue is very closely paraphrased to the dialogue.  
> If people are interested, send me a [tumblr](http://jay-pronounced-gay.tumblr.com/) ask and I'll send you the original version!
> 
> I also polished all this up on my phone, so I'm very aware that it isnt my best work!

This was a mistake.

Joseph knew it from the moment he woke up, to the moment he stepped foot back in his house.

Mary knew. There was no way she couldn’t have known. He couldn’t shower on the yacht, couldn’t wash away the smell of it. He’d done his best with what he had - wet wipes and deodorant. But he could still feel it on him, his... God, his mistake, as _loathed_ as he was to call it that. Because _God_ if it weren’t the best mistake he’d ever made.

 

God, what has he done?

 

The kids are at school when he gets home, the house eerily quiet without the twins bickering, or Chrish’s wailing, or Mary’s--

 _“Joseph,”_ the sound of his wife’s voice is enough to make him wince. “What are you doing here? Come crawling back already? Aw, what’s wrong, did your new _best buddy_ not want to play sailors?”

“Mary, can we please not do this? I just want to talk.”

Mary sighs, her gaze sliding away to the kitchen counter, where half a bottle of wine waits. She looks twenty years older in that one breath.

“Alright, Joseph, let’s _talk.”_

**~~**

The barbecue is the following day, and while Joseph is glad - so, so glad - that he can get this over with quickly… it doesn't do much to ease the dread that lurks over him.

He arrives to the party, trying not to think too hard about the bags under his eyes. Keeping to himself doesn’t prove too difficult.

 

The sun is setting and everyone seems to have eaten their fill, when Julian sits down next to him, quiet and soft.

 

Sitting next to Julian is a weird kind of relief. It doesn’t take a moment for them to fall back into a familiar rhythm.

“Joseph,” Julian starts, a blush already threatening his cheeks. The cocktail in Julian’s hand looks like it could be the culprit behind that. “It’s… good to see you again.”

Joseph chuckles, a warm sound, “This is definitely a great party. I should have you organize our next youth mixer.”

“Hey, my dance skills are ready _whenever_ you need them,” Julian laughs, bumping Joseph with his arm. “Hey, if you’re not too busy this weekend, I was thinking we could maybe catch a movie or something?”

“That would be… really fun, Julian. Or we could take the yacht out again…”

Joseph can't help himself. He sidles up next to Julian, ducking his head to press a kiss to the man's neck.

But something isn't right, and Julian can tell.

“So… uh… I guess things are still friendly with Mary?”

Joseph's heart drops. There it is.

“Um, yeah. We’re actually… we're actually staying together.” He swallows, keeping his breaths even and calm.

“What?” Julian looks to Joseph, the betrayal clear and sharp as a knife, “Why?”

“For a lot of reasons…” Joseph pulls back a little, wiping a clammy hand off on his pants, “there's the kids, for one. And the fact that we have to be a pillar for this community. So many people look up to us as the model marriage and I would hate to let me parishioners down.”

Julian looks just as hurt as Joseph feared, but he pushes on, trying to mend this, “But that doesn't stop you and I from… you know.”

Julian reels back. “That's not what I want.”

God, he sounds so sure of it, it breaks Joseph's heart.

“Look, I know it's not perfect. And _God_ how I wish it were. If things were up to me, you and I would be sailing the seven seas in search of Margaritaville.”  
Julian looks down to his lap, unable to respond. Joseph, as carefully as he can, reaches over to put his hand over Julian’s. He doesn't pull away.

“I'll leave you to think about it,” he says, softly. Standing, he looks down to Julian, meeting his gaze with a look of complete sincerity. “But just know that you can reach out to me. For _anything.”_

And with that, he's gone. Julian sits there for a while, attempting to process everything. Joseph wanted to have an affair? Or… did Mary know? Was he ready to be someone's dirty little secret?

Giving up, Julian skulked his way over to the ice cream bar. This. This would definitely fix his problems.


End file.
